Guest in Sanctuary
by tsugumi kohina
Summary: An intruder came to Sanctuary one day. Athena,however, granted permission to this trespasser. But then things change when the Golds sensed something wrong about this guest, despite the guest's convincing appearance...Fifth Chapter updated!
1. Chapter 1: The First Encounter

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Saint Seiya,Saint Seiya belongs to Masami Kurumada and Toei Animation.

**Setting:** After Hades chapter ( gold saints are revived).

-Chapter 1: The First Encounter-

"INTRUDER!DON'T LET HER PASS!"

It was six in the morning at Sanctuary,but there was already so much racket. Saori got up from her bed and ran outside. She passed the Twelve Temples,which was surprisingly quiet. The gold saints were probably still asleep. Not long after, the goddess arrived outside Aries. There were a bunch of guards and soldiers running.

"What's going on?'' she demanded.

Seeing their goddess before them,the guards immediately knelt. "Yes,ma'am. There was an intruder passing through Sanctuary earlier. We were about to send her to Cape Sunion," one of them said.

Saori frowned. "May I see this intruder?"

The guards stood. The last one in the back row strode forward,and the goddess now could see that he was dragging...a little girl!

Saori's eyes widened. "You mean _this_ is the intruder? Release her at once!"

"B...but ma'am..."

"No buts! She was still about seven! I don't deny that she's a stranger but I'm sure she means no harm! She's still a CHILD! Come here,dear."

The guard released the girl's arm and pushed her to Athena. The little girl had long dark hair,with a bruised body,probably because of running and falling a few times. When she looked up,Saori was surprised to see that she had eyes the colour of Milo's nail. Plus her face...it was so familiar...

"What's your name?"

"Ri...Rikka...my Lady," the girl replied. Her voice was clear but trembling.

"Well,then,Rikka,I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Please come with me to treat your bruises," Saori said,walking towards the Pope's Temple.

Rikka didn't answer,but she followed anyway.

*Two hours later in the Main Hall*

"My dear Saints,I am here to inform you the presence of a special guest that would be living in the Twelve Temples from now on," Athena's sacred voice rang through the hall.

There was a huge gasp from the audience.

"Therefore...please welcome Rikka,"Saori announced. The little girl stepped out from the curtain behind her,wearing a dark blue shirt and maroon pants. "Our Sanctuary guards have somehow..._mistaken_ her for an intruder,so as a form of an apology,I let her stay here."

As soon as she said that,everyone started talking among themselves.

"Did Athena hit her head or something?" Aiolia whispered to his brother.

"Aiolia! Don't speak of her like that!" Aiolos snapped. But it was clear from his expression that he didn't like the idea more than his brother did.

" Pfft...a little girl? She won't last long with my roses around,"Aphrodite boasted.

"Who the hell is she? She looks so...scary...for a kid," Kanon stated.

"And so...familiar," Seiya added, "I've seen her somewhere, but...I can't remember when."

Shion,being the Holy Father,decided to convince the goddess that this is not such a good a idea. "Um...Lady Athena...are you sure about this?" he asked, "Sanctuary is a sacred place only for Athena,the Pope and the saints,right? Besides...some of the gold saints won't be treating her very well. Deathmask, for instance."

Saori smiled. "I'm sure it's fine," she said,lifting her head to look at the others, "she will be staying with me,but she will be spending her time in the Twelve Temples,so I hope you don't mind having her around." Then she turned and headed back to her chambers,leaving everyone exchanging nervous looks.

"Yeah," Deathmask said sarcastically, "we really don't mind." For once,nobody told him to shut up.

"You can play along with the boys now. Go on," Shion said gently. Rikka shot him a nervous look,and stepped down to look at the saints.

The golds were looking at her anxiously,praying something like, "PLEASE don't let her play with me!"

Meanwhile the bronzies were looking at them in amusement,except for Seiya.I've seen her before,he kept on telling himself,but WHERE and WHEN?

Camus and Shaka were the only ones that stayed calm. "That girl," Camus whispered to Shaka, "she has a dark aura. Moreover,she didn't HAVE a cosmo..."

Shaka nodded. "Yes. I feel it too. We must be careful."

Milo saw them whispering,but he didn't say anything. Instead,he approached the little girl and introduced himself. "Hi! My name's Milo. I'm the Scorpio gold saint. And these are all my friends. Aries Mu,Taurus Aldebaran,Gemini Saga and Kanon,Cancer Deathmask,Leo Aiolia, Virgo Shaka..." and so on. While he was speaking,the other golds were looking at him like he was an alien from Pluto. "What does he think he's doing?" Saga said,replied by nervous whispers. Milo could be very unpredictable at times.

"...and Pisces Aphrodite," Milo finished, "you know,if I were you,I'd play with Deathmask over there," he said,pointing to the Cancer gold saint, "he was REALLY nice,and whatever you do,he won't get angry!"

"WHAT?"

Rikka beamed. "Thank you,Milo-sama!" then she ran over to a cursing Deathmask. "Deathmask-sama,would you please accompany me play in your temple?"

Deathmask was about to Sekishiki the kid,but when receiving a death glare from the others,he grumbled,shot Milo an I'll-kill-you-when-this-is-all-over look,and walked away. Rikka laughed excitedly,and followed him.

When they were gone,there was a loud sigh of relief.

"Why did you do that,Milo?" Camus asked, "you purposely made her leave with Deathmask."

All eyes dropped on the Scorpio saint.

Milo's smile faded,and his expression turned serious. "She's different," he said, "something's not right."

**A/N: **Well,this is it for the first chapter! Sorry if it was too short,though. This is my very first fic,so reviews please! Criticism and suggestions are welcomed. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2: A Day in Cancer

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Saint Seiya,Saint Seiya belongs to Masami Kurumada and Toei Animation.

**-Chapter 2: A Day in Cancer-**

"What do you mean something's not right?" Aldebaran asked, "she's just a little girl."

"Yeah,a creepy one too," Kanon said.

"But that doesn't explain WHY you sent her to Deathmask," Mu said.

Milo stared at them. "Don't you feel it? That girl...no...that _thing _has no cosmo! I sent her to play with Deathmask because her aura is almost similar to the one in Cancer Temple! I figured if she has some similarities with that crab then he would be the best one to play with her!"

Saga seemed thoughtful. "I don't know about the aura thing but about her cosmo...it's possible that she hid it," he said, "like Shaka setting up a barrier when I'm battling him for Hades."

"A little child can't do that yet. I can guarantee you that she doesn't even know what a cosmo is." Shura stated.

"It is true..." Shaka said.

Kanon and Aldebaran were lost in thoughts. "I wonder why I thought she does have a cosmo when she first came in," Kanon said.

Saga rolled his eyes. "You mistook her _aura_ for her cosmo."

"Oh..."

Milo sighed. "Is that why some of you are acting so normal?"

There was a murmur of agreement.

While everyone was speaking,Camus stayed quiet. "A person that has no cosmo," he thought, "what kind of person is that? She may not even be human!''

***Meanwhile,in Cancer Temple...**

"Wow! Deathmask-sama,is this your temple? It's amazing! Oh,what's that? The sofa is really nice! This smell...you're cooking something? This is AWESOME!"

Deathmask was having a headache hearing the little rat's blabber. If only he could kill her! But the Cancer saint knew that by doing so,it meant suicide. Athena would be furious if he killed the brat.

Suddenly Rikka stopped speaking. Deathmask looked up. "What's the problem,kid? Finally tired using your big mouth?"

Rikka gazed at him,and pointed to the wall. "What is that,Deathmask-sama?"

Deathmask followed her finger. He smirked. If he told her what _it_ really is,she would probably scream and go nuts herself. Now _that_ is interesting.

"That,kiddo,is a collection of faces whose owner I'd killed. You see, everytime I kill a person,I peeled their faces off and put them on my wall. Great idea,huh?"

Rikka turned quiet. Deathmask grinned. He figured that either her mind was having a mental-breakdown,or her soul was self-destructing right now. If she's dead,he won't have to put up with her again! Athena can't blame him for this! He simply explained,and the kid killed herself by asking! How great is that!

"COOL! YOU DEFEATED _ALL _OF THEM,DEATHMASK-SAMA? You must be very powerful!" Rikka cried, "now that I think about it...these faces are like trophies that marked how many you killed! This is TERIFFIC!"

Deathmask stared at her in disbelief. This is the FIRST time in his life that a little child could say something like that. Children usually ran away seeing his face collection...and yet...this one thought it was awesome! What's more, this child is a _girl_ ! Deathmask was speechless. He was almost certain that this child is Lymnades in disguise...

"Aren't you at LEAST scared of all this?" he couldn't help asking.

Rikka hesitated. "... Well...I really do feel sorry for them,but they no longer have to suffer in this world,right? So...I guess it's okay..."

Deathmask blinked a few times. "You also suffer in the afterlife,you know! What if you go to hell?"

Rikka shrugged. "I guess then it's my fault for ending up there. If I did something wrong when I'm alive,then I don't mind paying for them in hell."

Once again,Deathmask was speechless. _This kid,_he started to think,_she's still a child,but her mind was of an adult's._

Just then Rikka's stomach growled. The little girl blushed. "I'm sorry,Deathmask-sama," she said, "do you have anything to eat?"

Deathmask sighed. This is going to be a very long day,and he suddenly felt exhausted. "Go look into the kitchen yourself. I want to sleep."

Rikka beamed. "Thanks!" she said,and hurried into the kitchen. By the time she was there, she immediately saw a plate of spaghetti on the table. Without thinking,she grabbed it and gobbled the whole thing up.

Few minutes later, the plate was spick-and-span. Not even a strand of spaghetti noodle was left untouched. Rikka felt her eyes were getting heavier and heavier. It's been a long day,and she was tired. With little energy left, she searched around the temple for a good place to sleep.

_**Few hours later...**_

Aphrodite walked up towards Cancer Temple. He thought he should warn his friend about the little girl. The meeting just now didn't turn out so well. All they knew was that this child had no cosmo,had an unknown origin, and an unknown family. It would be wise to be careful. She might be a person in disguise,like...Lymnades Caza,for example. But they still didn't know why she had no cosmo.

Either way, Aphrodite would warn Deathmask about this. Afterall,he didn't join the meeting. He didn't get to hear this non-cosmo thing. The Pisces opened the Cancer door.

"Masky?" he called.

No answer.

"Masky?" he tried again, "Deathmask? Hello? It's me,Aphro. Rikka?"

Still no answer.

Aphrodite sighed. _Deathmask was probably watching TV again_,he thought. When the crab was watching,he always set the volume to its maximum until someone had to shout to get his attention. The Pisces saint went into the living room. The TV was off. Deathmask wasn't here either. Then he went to the Cancer's bedroom. He knocked,and still no answer. That's it!

He had come here personally trying to warn his friend about a mysterious guest but the crab remained as ignorant as ever! Aphrodite opened the bedroom door impatiently.

"Deathmask! I have been calling you for ages,why didn't you-" the Pisces stopped himself. Was he dreaming? Did his eyes play tricks on him again?

Inside,Aphrodite saw something that he thought would never see.

Deathmask was sleeping on his bed,his back against the mattress...with Rikka beside him. The girl cuddled herself right beside the Cancer saint,her head resting on his chest. And Deathmask's arm...it was around the child's shoulder,as if protecting her in his sleep.

Aphrodite couldn't help but smile. Guess the warning could wait. Despite being a mystery to all the saints, probably the kid wasn't so bad afterall. Aphrodite decided to leave and closed the door. But not before taking a picture of his friend using his camera! This is going to be a big hit in Sanctuary!

_**An hour later,in Pisces Temple...**_

"WOW! Deathmask has a daughter!"

"Goodness! Are you sure that this is _our _Deathmask?"

"Let me see,let me...oh. WOW."

"What on Earth...?"

"Holy Poseidon!"

"I am SO publishing this!"

Yeah...do I need to say it? In case you're wondering,those were the reactions from the goldies upon seeing the Deathmask-was-sleeping-with-the-brat picture. Some of them was speechless,and some of them really went hysterical.

"What do you know? Deathmask has a soft spot for the kid," Mu said,a smile on his face.

"Don't be too sure," Aiolos warned, "we still don't know who she is."

"But niisan,this kid is amazing! She can GET ALONG with our crab!" Aiolia said.

" I SAID DON'T BE TOO SURE!" Aiolos growled, "she might be a little girl in the outside, but who knows what she is in the insisde! YOU CAN'T JUDGE A PERSON LIKE THAT,AIO!"

Ailoia blinked,unsure of what to say. It's so rare for Aiolos get angry,moreover shout at him.

Saga sighed. "Look,Aiolia,what your brother is trying to say is that you must be careful. Until we know who she EXACTLY is,then we cannot let our guard down."

"Which is why we must meet with Pope Shion," Milo suggested, "we should talk about this with him. He's our senior. With Roshi being in Rozan,we only have him and Athena to rely on."

"He's right," Camus said,glancing at Milo a few times. His best friend seemed surprisingly serious today, "we shall have another meeting tomorrow. This time,with Athena and Pope Shion involved in it."

Aphrodite groaned. "Again? Come ooon! When do we get some REAL free time?"

"Shut up,Aphro!" Shaka snapped, "IF YOU DON'T WANT TO ATTEND ANOTHER MEETING,THEN YOU CAN JUST PACK YOUR THINGS,SAY GOODBYE AND GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE!"

Everyone stared at him. Did _Shaka _just say that?

"...Okaaaay..." Saga said uncomfortably, after a long time blinking, "tomorrow we have another meeting. At 11 o'clock morning,in the Pope's Hall,alright? Someone tell our crab."

**~END OF CHAPTER TWO~**

**A/N: **I'm really running out of ideas so I'm sorry if this isn't much...*sweatdrop* Any suggestions for the next chapter?


	3. Chapter 3: A Day in Aquarius

**First of all, I'd like to express my gratitude to Girl with a Golden Heart, who had given me suggestions and advices that make this chapter possible to appear, since I thought about not continuing it once^^. I would also like to say THANKYOU VERY MUCH! to those who had put this story to their Favourites list XD**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Saint Seiya, Saint Seiya belongs to Masami Kurumada and Toei Animation.

_**~Chapter 3: A Day in Aquarius~**_

"Where is she? I told her to sleep in one of my rooms but she didn't show up last night," Saori asked worriedly.

"Athena...if you're talking about Rikka, I think she slept with Deathmask the other night," Kanon said.

Saori's eyes widened. "What? She slept in Cancer Temple? Why?"

Aphrodite sighed. "Here," he said, and handed her a photograph.

Saori gazed at the picture without another word. Then her eyes softened. "What do you know...Deathmask might not be so bad after all..."

"That reminds me," Aiolia said, "where is that crab?"

"Here..." a voice echoed.

Everyone turned. "Masky?"

The Cancer saint stepped in the Hall, with Rikka holding his hand and smiling widely. "Good morning, everyone!" she chided.

Everyone turned silent. They just stood there, gawking at the sight of a psycho killer holding hands with a little kid and looking like a father-and-daughter scene in movies.

"What?" Deathmask demanded.

Aphrodite shook his head. "I told you there was a meeting at eleven! It's twelve-thirty now! Where were you?"

"In my temple...DUH!"

"What took you so long?"

"Deathmask-sama cooked spaghetti for me first before going here," Rikka said, "I'm sorry if I caused much trouble..."

Silence.

"He cooked you spaghetti?" Shura finally asked unbelievingly.

"Yup," Rikka answered.

Saga raised an eyebrow at Deathmask. "Really?"

"N...now d...don't get me wrong! The little kid was whining like HELL so I made her something to shut her up!" Deathmask snapped.

"You're blushing," Aiolos joked.

"No I'm not!'

"Yes, you are!"

"I'm not!"

"You are!"

"I SAID I'M NOT!"

"YES YOU ARE,YOU ABSOLUTELY ARE!"

"Stop it!" Shion snapped, but even the dumbest nutcase in Sanctuary could see that he was trying not to smile.

Athena smiled. "Well done, Deathmask," she said, and turned to Rikka, "you must've been so happy. Is he nice?"

"Very!" Rikka nodded hard.

All eyes landed on the Cancer saint, probably thinking, "What the? Is this kid blind, or is Deathmask really playing angel?"

"Stop gawking at me like that!" Deathmask shouted, "That's it! I'm not joining this meeting! I'm leaving...NOW!" and he turned and marched down the stairs to his lovely home.

Rikka looked at the floor. "Did I make him angry?"

"Of course not, dear," Saori said softly, crouching so she was level with the girl, "you are a wonderful child...and probably the only friend he ever had...apart from us."

Rikka nodded, but she still looked uneasy.

"Tell you what," Saori beamed, "you can stay with another saint today! Who do you want to be with?"

Rikka's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yes."

The little girl looked up, examining everyone with her brilliant red eyes.

"Can I stay with you, Camus-sama?"

Silence...again.

Obviously everyone knew that Camus was not one for visitors,especially a kid!

"Well, Camus?" Saori asked, standing up.

"...W...well...I..." Camus stammered, and looked at the seven-year-old. Finally he sighed. "As you wish, Athena..."

"Yeah!" Rikka beamed and ran over to the Aquarius. "May I see your temple? Does it have dead people faces like Cancer's?"

"Yes,you may see my temple but you have to promise to behave...and no, I don't have dead people's faces..." Camus answered flatly. Soon he left the Hall with the kid behind him.

"Alright," Shion finally said, "let's get on with the meeting. Um...where were we? Oh, yes...that girl has no cosmo, is that correct?"

Saori stared at him as if he had grown two heads. "What are you talking about, she HAS a cosmo!"

Milo sweatdropped. "A...Athena...I uh...I think you mistook her aura for her cosmo..." he said, glancing at Kanon.

The goddess shook her head. "No, no... she has a rather strange aura, yes, I know, but she also has a cosmo! I feel it!"

"...Now I'm confused..." Kanon scratched his head.

"B...but how? Why do we have different opinions like this when the person we're talking about is the same?" Mu demanded.

"Athena, are you sure?" Shion asked.

"Mm-hmm," Saori answered.

Aldebaran sighed. "What the heck is happening here?"

"Okay..." Athena said. "This child is different in some way, we know that for sure. But what we don't know, is that why we felt two different things at the same time. I sensed her cosmo but all of you don't. All we can do now is find out who she is first."

There was a mumble of agreement.

"Shaka," Athena called.

The blonde-haired Buddha tensed. "Yes, Athena?"

"I want you to find information about this child. Can you do this, please?"

"Yes, my Lady."

"Great. Oh, one more thing. Aphrodite...you go and ask Deathmask what he felt about the girl, alright?"

_Not again..._the Pisces thought. But he agreed anyway. "Yes, Athena."

"Okay, the meeting is done. We shall discuss this further when Shaka and Aphrodite has returned with more information." Athena ordered.

After that, the gold saints bowed, and returned to their temples.

_**~Meanwhile, in Aquarius Temple~**_

"Camus-sama...your temple is awesome! It's so cold here! Do you have Christmas everyday?" Rikka was already running around, despite Camus' cold glares.

"No. I am an ice saint. That explains why my temple is so cold."

Rikka beamed. "Can you reach absolute zero?"

Camus blinked, stunned on what she'd said. "W...well not really, but I'm near to reaching it..."

"Does that mean no one can reach it other than you?"

A shadow passed Camus' face. There USED to be no one...until his student Hyoga showed up. The Aquarius stayed silent, and Rikka waited, as if expecting an answer like "Of course there's no one! I'm the greatest guy ever!" But Camus just looked away.

"No..."

"You can beat EVERYONE?"

Camus mnanaged a slight smile. "Not everyone..."

Rikka smiled. "See? You're lying."

Camus stared at the girl, more stunned than ever. "What did you say?"

"Camus-sama...you said that no one can get closer to absolute zero more than you did. It means you're the strongest ice saint ever, right? But you said you couldn't beat _everyone_. I'm guessing...someone. Someone had defeated you once before...with a technique of the absolute zero stronger than you."

"What? There are so many possibilities on how I got defeated. It may be because of other techniques, not only ice ones. What makes you think I got defeated by an absolute zero stronger than me?" Camus asked coldly.

The child shook her head. "I just know..."

The Aquarius kept quiet. No wonder Deathmask changed after meeting this brat. She influenced people around her. She seemed to understand everyone, eventhough she never met them.

The turquoise-haired man sighed, and sat down at the nearest sofa. Rikka followed and sat beside him, her red eyes shining. Camus looked outside the window. His gaze was long...probably longer than the universe itself.

"When I was alive...I mean...two years ago, when I was guarding my temple from intruders, I was defeated...by my own student. His name is Hyoga. He was still fourteen at that time...and I thought...he'll never make it through all the Twelve Temples. But I was wrong. He broke through my Freezing Coffins, twice...reaching absolute zero in the process better than I did..."

Camus stopped himself. He was surprised, at how he was able to tell a story like this to an unknown stranger. But somehow...he felt okay. The kid was listening, almost as good as his best friend Milo every time he needed someone to share things with.

Rikka gazed at the ceiling, thinking about every word the Aquarius had said.

Then she grinned. "...Sometimes the best way to teach a disciple is through sacrifice...only a true teacher can do that..."

Camus, once again, was baffled. "Where did you hear that?"

"My master told me."

"Your _master_?"

For a moment Rikka seemed to remember what she'd said, and her eyes widened in shock. But then she returned to her normal self, although a bit more nervous this time.

"It's nothing," she said, shaking her head.

Camus narrowed his eyes. Something...definitely _something_ was different about this child. Not only she has no cosmo...but she also has an aura no one else has. Plus, this child seems to know _everything_ an adult would. She also seems to have the ability to know what others were thinking, although Camus must admit, he can't say she can read minds. He didn't know her AT ALL.

Just then, the gold saint remembered what he and his fellow friends discussed earlier. Who in the world is she? Deciding to investigate further, Camus started to ask some questions.

"Hey,kid...where...where do you come from?"

"Rodorio Village in Greece," the child said matter-of-factly.

"Your age?"

"Seven, going on eight."

"Why were the guards chasing you?"

"I went to Sanctuary without permission."

"What for?"

"To find out what it's like."

"Do you have any parents?"

"No...I mean yes...I mean...they died..."

"I see...may I know your master's name?"

"A...I'm not allowed to tell anybody about that..."

Camus hit the jackpot. About who this child really is...it's still blurry. But this child's mentor...her master...whoever he is, he must be a really important person that no ordinary people can know.

"Alright, it's fine," Camus said flatly, "you need anything, just take it. And your room's over there."

The kid smiled. "Thanks!"

_**Late that night...**_

"It's ten already. I suppose you want to go back to Athena?" Camus asked, relieved he finally get to be alone.

Rikka shifted uncomfortably. "Umm...may I sleep here?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No. Wait, why?"

"Because I like company."

"You also have company with Lady Athena."

"But I like it here better."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

"And your reason?"

"You."

SILENCE.

"You look so much like my Dad," Rikka said, "so I like being in your company."

"What about Deathmask?" Camus couldn't help asking.

At once the child's smile faded. "I think he hates me."

"No he doesn't."

"But he's angry just now!"

"That's just his way of saying that he cared."

"I don't think so..."

"If he hates you, he wouldn't get the trouble of cooking you spaghetti. He wouldn't keep you. He wouldn't hold your hands. He would've killed you."

The girl nodded, but still looking doubtful. "But can I please stay here tonight? Please?"

Camus sighed, then turned around to walk to his room. "Just this once."

"Yeaaah!"

"No shouting! Now just go to your room!"

"Can I sleep in yours?"

The Aquarius didn't move. Without looking back, he nodded once, and the kid trotted up after him.

_** ~END OF THIRD CHAPTER~**_

**A/N: Third chapter, finally done!^^ U Sorry it took so long because I'm quite busy on my other fics. Reviews PLEASE...I really wanna know how I'm doing in this story...**


	4. Chapter 4: A Day in Virgo

**Thanks once again for the reviewers of the last chapter, and for those who have added their stories to their favorites list, which is increasing in number^^. THANKS A LOT!**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Saint Seiya, Saint Seiya belongs to Masami Kurumada and Toei Animation.

_**~Chapter 4: A Day in Virgo~**_

Shaka walked quickly past the stairs to the Main Hall, panting slightly every time he took a step. His expression remained calm as usual, but his movements showed otherwise. There seemed to be a slight anxiety inside the Virgo saint. The voice in Shaka's head kept on saying "Keep going! Keep going!"...and he did.

By the time he arrived, the Virgo immediately slammed the doors open. Everyone inside turned their heads to him, eyes the size of tennis balls. Even Camus looked surprised.

"Shaka?" Athena said, looking at him, "what happened?" then she walked over and touched the Buddha's shoulder. But Shaka still looked uneasy.

"Is the kid here?" he asked, looking directly at Camus.

Camus stayed expressionless, but his eyes were warm and he looked...pale?

"She's in my temple, still sleeping," he said. His voice was clear but weak.

Shaka frowned. "You okay?"

"Yeah...yeah...just...just a bit tired."

But then he staggered backwards, and would've fallen if Milo hadn't caught him.

The Scorpio saint gazed at him worriedly. "Come on," he said, "I'll take you back to your temple."

For once, Camus didn't complain. He let his best friend support him, walking all the way back to the Temple of the Jewelled Urn. Shaka looked at them with his eyes closed as usual, but with a flash of worry. When the two left, he turned to the others.

"Tell us what you know," Shion urged.

Shaka nodded. "Earlier this day, I came back to Sanctuary with no luck. I did not find anything that would explain this child. But then Camus came over and told me he asked the girl some things yesterday. It seems that he found out that this girl came from Rodorio Village, had no parents, and had a mentor. She was seven years old, I presume. So I got out of Sanctuary again to go to Rodorio and visited the village chief. He said he knew there was a child named Rikka in his village...but something's not right..."

"What's not right? Tell us!" Aiolia cried impatiently.

Shaka hesitated, and finally spoke, "...he said that she died in the fire two years ago."

"WHAT?"

Shaka didn't react. He suspected this kind of reaction from his friends already. Not even he, the Closest Man to God, could stand the shock he received by hearing this particular statement.

Sudden silence filled the room.

"DOES THAT MEAN SHE'S DEAD?" Kanon suddenly yelled.

"DON'T JUMP INTO CONCLUSIONS!" Shion snarled, "WE SHOULD NOT JUDGE OTHERS WHEN WE OURSELVES DID NOT HAVE ANY PROOF!"

Aiolos seemed to be lost in thoughts. "Wait," he said, "Kanon has a point. A cosmo, as we all know, is a combination of the Big Bang, our soul, and our hearts, right? Any living being has one, even animals as small as bugs. So...a person that has no cosmo...it's like saying that she doesn't have a life force..."

By now, no one could tell which one's whiter, Kanon's face or Aphrodite's skin whitener.

The younger Gemini gulped, letting out a small whimper soon after, replied by a disgusted glare from his twin.

"Let me stay with her today," Shaka suddenly said, "I need to know more."

Athena nodded. "Very well. By the time you find something out, we'll gather again...with Seiya and the others too. Oh, that reminds me...Aphrodite?"

The Pisces jumped when he heard his name. "Yes?"

"What did Deathmask say about this child?"

Aphrodite shifted uncomfortably. "Well...I...I don't know...he said...he said that child HAS a cosmo..."

Everybody stared at him in surprise.

"Again? Oh,this is driving me crazy!" Shura said, scratching his head.

"What else did he say?" Mu asked.

Aphrodite shrugged. "He seems real tired, and you know how cranky Deathmask is when he's not in a good condition...so I didn't ask him any more than that. However, he did say that she's mature..."

Saga narrowed his eyes. "Wait a minute...you said that Deathmask is tired? He didn't do anything today!"

"Yup, he just sits around and does nothing, but honestly...he looked pale..."

"Like Camus?"

"Well...YEAH..."

"Last I saw him he was lying on his bed," Aphrodite continued, "that's why he didn't join this meeting. He's definitely NOT healthy."

"Maybe he tried cigarettes again," Aldebaran suggested.

"Maybe...but don't you think it's strange how Deathmask and Camus can end up in the same way?" Aiolos asked. "If it is because of cigarettes, then why did Camus, who never smoked, also suffered the same thing?"

Everyone turned silent. Aiolos definitely had a point. They were all thinking the same thing.

Saori took a deep breath. "Alright everyone...Please don't make any guesses first. Until we know the truth behind her, we shall stick to our plan. Shaka, go to Aquarius Temple right now. You are the one who shall stay with her today. Camus needs some rest anyway. The rest of you, you may go back to your temples. But if any of you can share some information about this child, you are very welcome."

Everybody bowed and started to walk away. But Aiolos stayed. Athena noticed him, and told Shion to let them talk in private.

"What is it, Aiolos?" Athena asked when they were alone, "you seem to have something to say."

Aiolos smiled and kneeled. "Forgive me for saying this Athena...but are you, by any chance, hiding something?"

_**~In Aquarius Temple~**_

Milo hadn't given much thought on the girl, he was too busy worrying about Camus.

"Stop that already," Camus said, now getting really irritated because his best friend was giving him millions of worried looks.

"You sure you're okay?" the Scorpio asked for the thousandth time.

"For the last time, Milo, YES! I'm fine." But as soon as he said that the Aquarius felt a surge of pain and stumbled.

"Yeah, you're SO fine. Please, keep on lying," Milo said sarcastically. Still, he cared for Camus no matter what.

Milo noticed the little girl sleeping on Camus' bed, and gently lifted her up so his friend could lie down.

"You let her sleep in _your _room?" the Scorpio asked, putting Rikka down on a sofa.

Camus didn't answer.

Milo turned to him, his blue eyes shining. "You actually cared for her?"

Once again, the Aquarius ignored his best friend.

"Camus, I'm not kidding. You never let _anyone_ sleep inside your room before, much less a girl! So why now..." Milo said, trying not to laugh.

"She...she's different..." Camus finally answered, "she's different. S...she reminds me of Hyoga...and Isaac..."

Milo smiled warmly. He knew, that's how his friend is. Camus never shows his feelings in public, and can only express it when the person he cared for isn't here.

"Ugh!" Camus suddenly groaned, clutching his head.

Milo helped him lie down. "Rest for now, okay? Seeing you getting ill is last on my fun list."

Camus smiled slightly, then started to close his eyes.

Just then, the door creaked open. "Excuse me," Shaka poked his head inside.

"Hey, Shaka," Milo greeted softly, trying not to disturb his sleeping friend.

"May I take the child?" the Virgo saint asked.

Milo nodded.

After that, Shaka lifted her up, careful enough not to wake her.

_**~In Virgo Temple~**_

Rikka woke up in a room completely different from the one in Aquarius Temple. The room was huge, quite plain and had a peaceful atmosphere. It also had that soothing lavender smell that people usually used for meditating.

Carefully, Rikka jumped down from her bed and ran toward the door, opening it slowly.

"I see that you have woken up," a voice spoke.

Rikka jumped. She decided to take a look, so she quickly ran out of her room and in no time, arrived in a "hall". In the middle of that hall, was a young man with golden hair, sitting cross-legged in the air, eyes closed. He was meditating.

"Umm...excuse me?" Rikka said, "Shaka-sama...is it?"

The Virgo turned to her with his eyes still closed, but Rikka could tell that he was studying her.

"Shaka-sama...can you please tell me why I'm not in Aquarius Temple anymore?" The child asked, suddenly remembering that she was supposed to be sleeping in Aquarius.

"Camus...he...ah...he fell ill...so did Deathmask. So I took on the responsibility on keeping an eye on you," Shaka answered.

Rikka's eyes turned dim. "Deathmask-sama and Camus-sama is sick?"

Shaka exhaled, and stood up. "Yes, little one. Are you sure you don't know anything about it? You _were_ with them few days before."

The child tensed. Shaka was sure he saw her shed a tear, but he may have been wrong.

"I don't know..." the little girl said, "I don't remember."

"You _don't remember?"_

"I...I mean...I don't remember seeing them fall ill..."

"...I see."

Then the kid's eyes lit up again. "I hope they get well soon..."

"They will."

"Why are your eyes closed, Shaka-sama? How can you see things if you don't open them?" Rikka asked curiously.

"I can see using my cos- I mean...I sense things around me. That alone is enough," Shaka replied.

"Why do you meditate?"

"To reach Nirvana and store strength."

"How do you float like that?"

"When you meditate without hesitation, you can have the ability to do this."

"Can I try it?"

Shaka was baffled when he heard the child's innocent question. A little girl cannot do something like meditating, of course, but...why not?

The Virgo nodded. "Clear your mind, focus. Only think about whatever you think is important. Peace, love, justice. Find the answer to all your problems."

Rikka beamed, then sat beside the gold saint, cross-legged like him, eyes closed.

Shaka returned to his meditating state. Waiting for a kid to start floating in the air is going to take AGES.

A minute after he started levitating again, Shaka felt something beside him, and almost fell when he saw that Rikka was already flying.

The Virgo snapped his eyes open. "How did you-"

Hearing his voice, the child stood, opening her scarlet eyes.

"I didn't know it was quite fun!" she grinned, "and easy!"

"You LEVITATED?"

The little girl smiled when she looked at him. "WOW! You opened your eyes?"

"Answer my question!"

"Well...I suppose I did. I like it! It feels as if all my problems are solved..."

"Meditating requires a great amount of focus," the Virgo said, "what did you do to accomplish this?"

"I only did what you asked," Rikka replied, "I thought about what's important to me."

"And what is that, may I ask?"

"My parents...my home...my Master...Lady Athena, Deathmask-sama, Camus-sama, and you."

Shaka raised his eyebrow. "Us?"

"Yes...without you, along with the other saints, I probably wouldn't come out of Sanctuary alive."

"What do you see in Deathmask, child?" Shaka asked, "he's a true killer."

Rikka widened her eyes in shock. "No he isn't! He's very nice! And lonely...that's why I like him very much. Because he cares."

"And Camus?"

"Well...he's a bit cold, I admit...but he seems so sad, like he'd lost someone. Had he, really?"

Shaka hesitated. This matter was only among the Golds. But he told her anyway. "Yes," he said, "he lost his student, once."

"You mean Hyoga?" Rikka cried.

"No, the other one. How do you know about Cygnus?"

"Camus-sama told me."

"Is that so?"

"Yup."

"Anyway, do you find it interesting to meditate?"

"Yup! It really feels like my burdens have flown away."

"What burdens?"

The girl's eyes dimmed almost instantly. She looked at the Virgo saint, as if checking wether she could trust him or not. "I...ran away from home..."

"From Rodorio?"

Rikka jumped a little. "Did Camus-sama tell you about that?"

"Yes."

Rikka seemed nervous, rubbing her arms and looking back and forth. "Yeah, from Rodorio."

"I heard about a girl that was killed in a fire there," Shaka said, "do you know who that is?"

By this time the child was already as nervous as being on stage. "She was...my sister..."

Shaka narrowed his eyes. "But when I looked at her picture, she looked very much like you."

"We're twins..." Rikka answered.

"Does she have a same name as you?"

"We looked alike, so sometimes people tend to accidentally swap our names. Perhaps they were mistaken..."

Shaka felt a rush of disappointment. He was hoping that the dead girl was her. If so, then that would explain everything. Not having a cosmo, an aura like Cancer Temple's... But no. She had a twin sister. He was wrong.

"I see. I apologize for bringing back such memories," Shaka said.

The kid shook her head. "It's fine."

"You mentioned that you have a master. May I know who he is?"

"I would love to tell you, but he said I can't tell anyone." Her answer was just as Shaka expected.

"Is he important then? What does he train you for?"

"You can say that he's powerful...and he trains me for,uh...self-defense."

Shaka nodded. "Alright. Your room is over there, the one on the corner. You can do as you wish. However, no running, no screaming, and definitely NO CRYING, or else I'll just have to seal your five senses."

"Yes, Sir!" Rikka said eagerly, "thank you for listening, Shaka-sama!"

Shaka froze. Looking back, he cracked a slight smile. "And I thank you for answering."

_**~The Next Morning~**_

Shaka had asked everyone to gather in the Pope's Hall that day. Even the Bronzies were present.

"So let me get this straight," Ikki said, "this meeting is about a girl who has no cosmo, am I right?"

"Yes," Camus said, who, along with Deathmask, was still weak and yet still attended the gathering, "we were trying to find out why."

"Well make it quick!" Deathmask growled, "my body is killing me! And what's with all this nonsense saying she doesn't have a cosmo? I'm telling you, SHE DOES!"

Aiolia rolled his eyes. "See? THAT'S what we're talking about."

The Cancer saint glared at the Lion, but did not bother to snap back at him. Despite his usual attitude, Deathmask was actually still weak and would've stayed in his room if Athena didn't tell him to come out.

Saori sighed. "Camus...Deathmask...I'm sorry for telling you to attend this meeting...You still need to rest. It will be quick, I promise. Where is Shaka, by the way?"

Saga scratched his head. "That blonde-haired Buddha is never late...so where the heck is he?"

"Yeah. We're already in the Pope's Hall but he's not even here yet!" Kanon said, "which reminds me...the creepy brat didn't show up today, either."

"I'll go check," Mu offered.

Everybody agreed, so he walked downstairs to the sixth Temple and knocked on the door.

"Shaka?" he called.

When there was no answer, the Aries saint decided to enter.

Just as he was about to call again, Mu stopped dead.

Inside, was the Virgo saint himself, collapsed on the marble floor of the House of the Maiden .

_**~END OF FOURTH CHAPTER~**_

**A/N: **Fourth Chapter, done XDDD I'm sorry if it was too long and please review


	5. Chapter 5: Hades' Specter

**As usual, a thankyou for all the reviewers for the last chapter, Fantasy-Magician, Mary Pyroangel and Girl with a Golden Heart, as well as to everyone that have added this fic to their favorites list Thankyou SO much!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Saint Seiya, Saint Seiya belongs to Masami Kurumada and Toei Animation.**

_**~Chapter Five: Hades' Specter~**_

"SHAKA!"

In a blink of an eye Mu rushed to his friend's side. The Virgo lay motionless, eyes closed with a pale skin.

"Shaka, Shaka! Oh gods, please answer!"

Seeing his friend unconscious like this, Mu'd rather fight another Holy War! The Aries gazed at the Buddha, deep in thoughts. What should he do? His friends, along with Athena,were waiting for him in the Pope's Hall right now. Should he just bring Shaka to the others? Or just leave the gold saint and get on with the meeting?

Suddenly Shaka groaned and opened his eyes. "Mu...?"

_Thank the gods,_Mu thought. "Hey...are you okay?" he said, helping the blonde sit up.

"Yes...I'm fine..."

"Let's go...the others are waiting for us in the Main Hall. Can you walk?"

The Virgo nodded. Mu sighed with relief. Supporting Shaka all the way up, Mu slowly made his way upstairs. Shaka was even paler than Deathmask and Camus. The Aries saint frowned. What on Earth happened to his friends?

The moment she saw them, Athena's eyes widened like they're going to pop out any minute.

"Shaka!"

Saori ran over and immediately gazed at the Virgo saint. "What happened...? He looked so pale!"

"When I came in, he was already collapsed on the floor..." Mu explained.

"It's alright...I'm fine..." Shaka said reassuringly.

Milo balled his fists. "First Deathmask, then Camus, and now Shaka?"

"Where is that brat?" Kanon half-shouted.

Everybody tensed. How could they forget about her?

"Wait," Camus said, still looking weak, "what makes you think the kid's behind all this?"

"Master..." Hyoga said, "that kid has no cosmo! I don't think she's even _human_!"

"Yeah," Ikki added, "she's just like a walkin' body without a soul!"

"But that still doesn't make her the culprit!" Deathmask protested, "what does not having a cosmo gotta do with three people being ill?"

Shiryu smiled. "You really changed since I met you last, Deathmask."

"SHUT UP!" The Cancer shouted, his cheeks as red as a boiled crab.

"Hello? We're having a problem here!" Shura cut in, slightly annoyed.

Shion turned to their goddess. "Athena...?"

"Call the girl. I need to speak with Rikka. She's probably still sleeping right now," Saori said, her eyes dim.

"Somebody called my name?" a little voice spoke out.

Startled, everyone turned their heads to the direction of the voice, seeing none other thatn Rikka, dressed in her usual dark clothes, but still looking sleepy.

"She's even creepier than I last saw her..." Seiya whispered to Aiolia.

Rikka looked around nervously and saw that everyone was looking at her like she had just eaten a pile of cockroches. "Umm...did I do something wrong?"

"_Did you do something wrong?"_ Aphrodite exploded, "YOU STILL DON'T WANT TO ADMIT THAT YOU'RE BEHIND ALL THIS?"

"B...but...I-"

"Leave her to me, Dite!" Milo said, his eyes full of hatred, his nail now turning scarlet, "she only has one path, THAT IS TO DIE!"

"STOP IT!" Shion snapped, "I can't believe how childish you all are! We still didn't know who's behind all this! We don't have any proof!"

"Milo, Aphrodite..." Saori said, "enough. Shion is right. We don't have any proof. It may not be her."

"Oh, but it IS her!" a voice bellowed.

Everybody turned and their eyes immediately widened in shock.

There, standing on the doorway of the Main Hall, was someone the saints last expected to meet.

"AIACOS?" Ikki cried.

The Garuda smirked seeing the Phoenix's reaction. "We meet again, Phoenix..."

"Aiacos-sama!" Rikka shouted in disbelief, her face showing terrible fear.

Shaka frowned at her. "You know him?"

"Of course she does, right Rikka?" Aiacos smiled slyly, "or should I say..._Violate_?"

**"WHAT?"**

"You...you mean..." Seiya stammered, looking at the child, "_you're _Behemoth Violate?"

"Behemoth Violate's _incarnation,_ to be exact," Aiacos said.

"B...but...how?" Shun, who was being quiet all the while, finally spoke out of extreme curiosity.

"Ah...Andromeda, is it?" Aiacos smiled, "Hades-sama's previous vessel."

"Tell us, Garuda," Athena said, "tell us everything about the young one."

"Since it was you who asked, Athena, I shall tell you. Firstly, this child, is no more than dead."

"WHAT?" Once again, everyone was startled.

"She died in the fire two years ago in Rodorio Village," Aiacos continued, "her soul wanders in the Underworld soon after. Hades-sama, always as kind-hearted as he is, decided to revive her, sensing that she, surprisingly, shares the same soul with one of us, Behemoth Violate. Soon I was in charge of training her, because she was no more than five, at that time."

"So _you're_ her master?" Aiolos asked, startled, "and why doesn't she have a cosmo?"

The Garuda smirked. "Now THAT'S the interesting part. Hades-sama revived her, yes, but in ONE condition. This child should stay in the Underworld and serve him for eternity, and the child agreed. To make sure she kept her promise, Hades-sama bound her cosmo to the Underworld. In other words, if she EVER leaves the Underworld, her cosmo will perish and she will die."

"That means..." Aiolia said, "her cosmo STAYS in the Underworld? She can only have her cosmo if she's in Hell?"

The Judge nodded. "She can only LIVE in hell. Her cosmo cannot exist anywhere else except in the Underworld. If, for example, she went to Earth, like now, her cosmo will not follow her, remaining in the Underworld forever and leaving her body lifeless."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Ikki shook his head, "but she's here now, ain't she? And she's not dead!"

While everyone discussed about her, Rikka stayed silent the whole time. The Specter glared at her. "Who would've thought that she will steal an Underworld pendant that STORES a cosmo?"

"That's absurd!" Saga said unbelievingly, "What pendant has the power strong enough to KEEP a _cosmo_?"

Aiacos shrugged. "That's for you to believe. It's all just the truth. Most of you cannot sense her cosmo inside it, I believe, because the pendant is special. Do not underestimate things that came from the Underworld. They have tremendous power."

Seiya and the other Bronzies were speechless. "First, Rikka is an incarnation of Behemoth Violate. Second, she died two years ago but was soon revived. Third, her cosmo forever stays in the Underworld not allowing her to go anywhere. Fourth, she escaped by stealing a cosmo-keeping pendant that keeps her cosmo with her...and most of us cannot sense it. Great," Seiya said.

"So the one who died in the fire really WAS her," Kanon said.

Shaka glared at Rikka. "You lied?"

"N...no! I-"

"You said it was your sister! You said they mistook you for her!"

"Shaka-sama...!"

"And you said you ran away from home, from Rodorio! But what you mean is that you ran away from the Underworld, am I right?"

"I...I-"

"I cannot believe I even soiled Buddha's name just by trusting a low human being like you," Shaka said, then turned back and walked away.

Rikka turned to Deathmask, tears in her eyes. "Deathmask-sama...?"

"SHUT UP! I LISTENED TO YOU, I **TRUSTED **YOU! AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?"

"I...I'm sorry-"

"I DON'T F****** CARE! I WAS RIGHT! I SHOULD'VE KILLED YOU! BUT BECAUSE OF THIS STUPID ORDER I DIDN'T! NOW LOOK WHAT YOU DID!"

"But-"

"SEKISHIKI MEIKAI HA!"

Just before the Cancer's attack could land on the kid, a hand grabbed the gold saint's arm.

"Calm down, Deathmask," Shion said calmly, "do not kill her. She's not worth it."

"Shion!" Athena cried. The Holy Father of Sanctuary just said that? Still, she had to admit, the child's nothing but disaster. It's all her fault. She brought her here. She asked her to stay in the Twelve Temples. She took her.

Deathmask scoffed, and, without another word, stormed downstairs to his temple after Shaka.

"Athena," Shion kneeled, "I'm sure we want to ban this child?"

Athena stayed silent. Ban? That would be wise. By doing so, Sanctuary will return normal once again. But a little kid...? Saori looked at Aiacos.

"Bring her home," she said, "and never, ever bring her here again."

Aiacos shrugged. "That's what I'm supposed to do."

Rikka backed away, her eyes widening. "But I like it here better!" she cried, turning to Camus. "I want to stay here, with all of you! Camus-sama! _Please_!"

The Aquarius glared coldly at her, showing no mercy.

"Go back to the Underworld right now," he said quietly, a dangerous edge in his voice.

"No, I don't want to!"

"Then go somewhere else."

"That is not an option, Violate," Aiacos said, "come with me. Until next time, Athena."

In a flash, the Garuda specter and the child disappeared into thin air.

"Teleportation," Mu said. So much for not having any more enemies.

Everyone exchanged nervous looks.

"So..." Shura said uncomfortably, "that's it?"

"_That's it_?" Saga said, "we still have tons of problems unsolved! Why are Camus, Shaka and Deathmask ill? Why is Hades and his spectres still alive? Why did Aiacos let the kid live? He should kill her because she broke her promise! And why can Deathmask and Lady Athena sense her cosmo, which is **inside** a pendant?"

"And I think there's something wrong with Aiacos. " Aiolos said, "He merely came, told us some information about this child, and left. He didn't even bother to attack! Do you think it's a kind of trap?"

Saori gazed at the sky, her purple hair blowing in the wind. "Honestly, I don't know. But what I do know is, Hades is still a god. He cannot be killed. We may destroy his body, but his soul is immortal."

"If we can't kill him, then what should we do?" Hyoga said, "fight him for eternity? There's no end to this!"

Shun lowered his head. _Fighting again._

Seiya and Shiryu exchanged nervous looks, an understanding passed between them. "Can we seal him?" Shiryu asked.

Athena looked at them. "That's what I've been thinking."

"And that pendant the kid is wearing," Milo added, "is it the same 'yours ever' pendant that connected Andromeda to Hades?"

"I'm not sure," Saori said, "but I suppose it is. If that pendant can connect Hades to Shun, then it must be able to connect Rikka with the Underworld and the Three Judges too."

"Connect Rikka with the three Judges," Aiolos repeated, "do you think they actually _know _that she's in Sanctuary?"

"I think so," Shion answered, "at least, Aiacos seemed to know. He teleported here right away."

"I remember Pandora saying how Shun will be guided to Hades, wherever he is," Ikki said, glancing at his brother, "so yeah, I think so too."

_** ~END OF CHAPTER FIVE~**_

**A/N: Finally! It took me so long to write this chapter, because I'm a little bit confused on how I'm going to explain the pendant part^^U Sorry if it's a little shorter and more confusing than the other chapters~**

**Reviews please! :D**


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